"A person's a person, no matter how small." - Dr. Suess

Respect for human rights are recognized internationally as necessary for people to live happy and prosperous lives. Children also have rights and these are often special and separate from adult rights. Though in some countries this isn't the case and children have not met their basic needs and opportunities to reach their full potential.Child rights are either not protected, or respected. Believe it or not but children have been exploited and abused through history. Working in harmful conditions, homelessness, hunger, deficient health care, and limited opportunities for education.

The rights of a child are;

the right to survival - to life, health, nutrition, name, and nationality

the right to development - to education, care, leisure, recreation

the right to protection - from exploitation, abuse, neglect.

the right to participation - to expression, information, thought and religion.

In order to protect children, many countries except the United States of America, and Somalia in the world have signed a convention on the rights of a child. Quote from Unicef "It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have; the right to survival; the to development to the fullest; protection from harmful influences, abuse, and exploitation; and to participate fully in a family, cultural, and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to survival and development; and respect for the views of the child" This means that the Governments in these countries must make sure that every child in their country is protected and has the rights listed in the convention. Unfortunately not all countries have fulfilled this . There are many reasons for this; sometimes it is because families don't have work, or are living in poverty, and children are forced to go to work for their families survival. Some countries have poor education and health care and some countries are at war.

One of the clear examples of child rights violation is during war and conflict. In Africa there are 120,000 children used as soldiers to perform and complete unacceptable tasks not only for a child, but for any human being. Globally there are 600,000 child soldiers. According to UNICEF in the last 10 years, war and conflict have resulted in 2 million children being killed, 4.5 million disabled, 12 million left homeless, more than 1 million orphaned or separated from their parents; and 10 million psychologically traumatized. Children are victims of war and it is clear that their basic rights like right to life, shelter, security, and education are at risk.

Child Rights are also an issue in Malaysia. In Sabah there are 52,000 stateless children. These are children of mostly filipino and Indonesian migrant workers many who do not have legal status in Malaysia. As a result their children also have no legal status and are stateless. As stateless children, these young people do not have access to government services like healthcare and education. The number of these children is rising. Because they are not in school many end up on the streets, involved in drugs, or crime or child labour. Something needs to be done to provide these children with the rights they deserve. While the Malaysian Government provides for Malaysian children, it does not provide for stateless children. More work needs to be done to raise awareness about the plight of stateless children and to give them legal status and rights under Malaysian law.

What can we do to help protect and guarantee child rights? We need to support countries to protect children's rights. This might be supporting poverty reduction, access to health care, and education. We can support organizations and charities that work with children. UNICEF is a global organization committed to child rights. There are also many local organizations in every country, including Malaysia. I think that child rights are as important as Adult rights, and should be respected, protected and acknowledged. Even though we can't guarantee that every child will have all their rights insured, at least we have something to strive towards. The quality of your life as a child lays the foundation for your future.

The Medium is the Message

Everyone knows that preserving the environment is important, but we all know that we are the cause of environmental issues such as climate change ,air pollution and deforestation. But getting people to understand and take action towards these issues is a challenge. How do we get the message across? Sometimes the medium is as important as the message. Movies are a powerful medium, one of the best ways to convey a message, make people aware and interested. I feel that movies are the best way of conveying a message explaining environmental issues. I think using effective communication to get people aware, and motivated to take action towards important global issues, like the environment is worth fighting for.

There are a variety of types of media that can be used to advocate on issues like the environment. But some mediums are more effective than others in conveying powerful messages. A poster, for example, is a 2 dimensional sheet often illustrated, that is posted to advertise or publicize something. An environment poster for example might depict images for recycling. A poster is something people glance at for a few seconds. In some cases it's an effective piece of media but perhaps not the best way to advocate on huge important issues and to explain their complexity. Some environment issues like deforestation are complicated and environmental and should be expressed clearly and powerfully. Many people lack a good understanding of the more complex environmental issues. They might know terms like climate change, air pollution, and deforestation, but don't fully understand whats its like to experience these situations. If people knew the effects that these issues have on our planet only then might that make people aware and motivated to take action for these issues. I feel the medium of film is an effective way to convey deeper messages about the importance of environment issues. The film could be a documentary or a fictional movie. A film, unlike a poster, can provide context and description, allowing a person to almost, but not quite, experience an issue through the movie going experience.

Conveying this message about environmental issues is portrayed prominently throughout movies. Movies are a way of mobilizing people, and sometimes to advocate for a cause usually in a subtle way. For example the movie Avatar (directed by James Cameron) is about a paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission who becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is home. The viewer is first impressed by Avatar's special effects and storyline. But as you watch the film you get drawn into the message that it is trying to convey. That message is about the environment and the effects of deforestation. Avatar is a movie that portrays an environmental issue in a subtle way, and leaves the viewer with messages beyond what they would have expected. Movies have mass appeal. Avatar was seen by millions worldwide. What a powerful way to send a message to millions of people about the causes and effects of deforestation! The most effective part about a movie is that you can visualize, interpret, and get an understanding of what the result of the issue is. This was portrayed in the movie Avatar as well as the popular Pixar movie WALL -E which is about a small waste collecting robot who inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind. WALL-E shows how earth has turned into a waste land because of people, polluted where no life can survive. It used the medium of creative animation to depict these issues. As a result it is able to send a message to children as well as adults.

Advocacy organizations and activists who campaign on important political and social issues like the environment, needs to take advantage of the different types of media to get their message across and change peoples attitude, understanding, and behavior. The medium used to convey messages can make the difference between apathy and action or 10 people being involved versus 100,000. Believing in a cause is often not enough to make a difference. How you communicate that cause to others and inspire them to act leads to change. For example if I care about deforestation then I could go plant a tree in my garden, or start a campaign, do something to mobilize a group of people. Issues need to be linked with good communication strategies. For example not everyone can make a movie like Avatar, but they can use different types of media to convey a message and have people support a cause. Big issues like the environment require more people to get involved.

Overall the media is one of the most important and effective ways of communication. It advocates, makes people aware, interested, and entertained. The environment is one of the biggest issues that is portrayed through the media. In posters, documentaries, magazines, and the most effective way movies. But the way for media to work is for people to take advantage of these messages and turn them into personal and shared actions. The medium is the message. And if the medium is effective on environment issues, it can lead to cleaner, more sustainable world.

Nutrition can make the difference between life and death.

I believe all people have the right to food and a healthy diet. A healthy diet is essential for a healthy life. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of food in the world, many people are not well nourished and do not have access to food. At the same time, those with access to all kinds of food, suffer from poor nutrition. Why is this so?
According to the World Health Organization “Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an adequate, well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity.”
Good nutrition requires a balanced diet. This involves eating the right combination of proteins, fruit, vegetables, dairy products and grains so that our bodies get the nutrients they need to keep us healthy. Fresh foods are always best. It is also important to drink lots of clean water. These are the compenents to a healthy diet.

But not everyone has a healthy diet people all over the world are poorly nourished. In rich countries where most people have access to a wide variety of healthy food there are still problems of poor nutrition.
Many people suffer from diabetes, heart disease, obesity, anemia and other diseases.
Lack of information. Some people are not aware of what makes a healthy diet. So their food choices may not be smart ones. For example most children would prefer soda over water a healthier choice. Even if you wanted to drink something else, you would be hard-pressed to find it as prominently displayed in vending machines, at fast-food chains, and supermarket checkouts. Aswell as the fact that soda is pretty inexpensive when compared to fruit juice and milk (healthier options). Soda contains drastic amounts of sugar, chemicals and calories. Another reason is the abundance of junk and processed food. Kids fancy “fastfood”. McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC, etc. However the consumption of fastfood is very unhealthy. Fast food is inexpensive,prepared and served quickly. Fastfood is processed, full of fats, salt, sugar and lacking in essential nutrients.Unfortunately some people consume to much fast food that they have forgotten what real food tastes like.In countries like America, where fast food consumption is on the rise, diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart attacks are very common. 9 out of 10 americans think that they have a healthy diet, when in reality 68% of americans are obeise. This suggests that people are ignorant about their diet, and need more nutritional knowledge. “Processed foods not only extend the shelf life, but they extend the waistline as well.” ~ Karen Session

People in poorer countries also suffer from nutrition related diseases like diabetes, heart conditions and obesity. Sometimes local diets contain a lot of fats and sugars. This is true in Malaysia for example where 1.2 million people have diabetes. In other countries the situation is more serious. According to the UN World Food Programme, over 1 billion people in the world don't have enough to eat. Every 6 seconds a child dies from malnutrition and related causes.Malnutrition is a rising empidemic in severals countries. People with malnutrition lack the nutrients necessary for their bodies to grow and stay healthy.Countries in sub Saharan Africa are often the worst affected because of drought. When there is a drought, people cannot grow food and this can lead to famine and death.Because many of these countries are very poor, people also do not have the money to access purchased food. Several poor people also do not have access to clean drinking water. The combination of no food and unclean water leads to malnutrition.

The sad reality of this is that people who have access to the best and most nutritional food in the world often chose to eat junk while at the same time a child dies every 6 minutes from malnutrition. And we should be grateful that we get the oppurtnuity to have our own preferable choice of what we would like to eat, wether it is healthy or not. Part of the solution is better nutrition education. Also the world’s food needs to be better distributed so poor people have access and don’t starve.There are many organizations in the world, like the World Food Programme and World Health Organization that believe that this is a right worth fighting for. All people have the right to a healthy diet and enough food to eat. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. It is unthinkable that any child should go hungry, with the amount of food produced, grown, bought and consumed everyday. Malnutrition is a rising empidemic that should be solved “But If you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one.” Mother Teresa.


Sources
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40907754/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/me-fat-americans-denial-about-weight-survey-finds/http://news.discovery.com/human/americans-diet-weight-110104.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/299975-why-is-it-important-to-include-both-exercise-healthy-eating-habits-in-your-lifestyle/

http://hutchinsonm.hubpages.com/hub/The-Importance-of-Healthy-Eating

http://www.malnutrition.org/malnutrition.html

One Child

What is worth fighting for? In my opinion equality between men and women is a fundamental human rights principle.However throughout history different cultures and countries have shown preference for men or women socially, politically or economically. I believe equality between men and women and women’s rights are worth fighting for, particularly the rights of the girl child.

One example of how girls are discriminated and treated unequally is China’s one child policy which started in 1978.. The policy was implemented in response to China’s rising population and desire for economic success. Under the policymarried couples in China were only allowed to have one child.Traditionally, in Chinese culture boys carry on the family name and are expected to care for their parents in old age.Girls when they are married move to live with their inlaws. So having a boy is desirable.

The policy created a situation where families desired boys even more because they only had one opportunity. Many poor families in particular became so desperate for a boy that they resorted to severe practices to ensure they had sons. Some gave baby girls up for adoption.Others found out through ultrasound what the sex of the fetus was and if it was a girl, aborted it. Other killed the baby girls. This is known as female infanticide and is a horrible crime.

These are serious human rights abuses and violations of the rights of the girl child. As a result of this policy and the discriminatory practices that it led to, China’s boy to girl ratio is growing wider and wider. China is estimated to have 30million more boys than girls as a result of the policy. This has led to even further abuses of women and girls' rights in China. Because there is a shortage of women, female trafficking and prostitution have increased in China.

So, a policy which on the one hand helped to reduce china’s population and improve the quality of life in China has in fact had a negative impact on girls.Today in China the policy is less strict but it will take China a long time to recover from the loss of so many girls. This is why gender inequality is such a discrimintary issue one that should be stopped. More advocacy is needed to fight for the equality.

Equality: An Impossible Dream

" We hold these truths, to be self evident that all man are created equally"

Martin Luther king Jr said this.

If I were to create a new world I would like it to be based on the principle of equality. Equality is defined as the state of being equal through in status, rights, and opportunities. Equality in my society would be based on gender, race, religion, and ethnicity. In my ideal world, all people would have equal access to basic services and opportunities such as education, health, and employment.

There are many examples throughout history and around the world where people have been denied these basic opportunities and access.

Freedom to choose and follow a religion is one important aspect of equality. A religion is a belief, one that should not be judged. The holocaust is a clear example of religious inequality and discrimination. The Holocaust was the persecution and murder of about 6 million jews by the Nazi regime and their collaborators, due to religion.This contributed to World War II.

Equality amongst people of different ethnicities also contributes to health, equal societies. Ethnic inequality can lead to conflict. The Sri Lankan civil war is an example of ethnic discrimination between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. The inequality between the Tamils and the Sinhalese has led to three decades of violence, conflict, and slow development. The Sri Lankan civil war is one of several crises around the world that demonstrate ethnic inequality.

Both men and women contribute to a society's development. In my ideal world men and women who have equal opportunities and rights. An example that demonstrates gender inequality is the one child policy in China. This regards the discrimination against baby girls , leaving families to abort girls in favor of boy babies. This crisis will effect, and has effected the social development in china, which will take a long time to recover at this rate.

In my ideal world, people would not be treated differently based on the colour of their skin. Racial inequality was a huge crisis in the American south during the 1950's and 60's. This involved the segregation of black"colored" people and white people. Black people didn't have the opportunities that white people had, and were segregated in such ways. Martin Luther King Jr was an activist for this cause, as well as many others.

These examples demonstrate how discrimination based on difference has lead to poverty, conflict and injustice in different societies. This is why I feel that equality which embraces difference would be the most important principle in my new world. However achieving an equal society may be an impossible dream. Many societies around the world, past and present, have struggled to achieve equality, however I believe it's worth striving for.

Hunger Games Assignment!

I chose to do, Map of the Hunger Games arena, Ticket, and Identity chart of Katniss.

I decided to do a Map of the Hunger Games arena, As there is no exact description of what the arena looks like in the book, just small pieces of evidence explaining natural resources and habitats in the arena. I felt that if my partner and created a map it was a way for us to create a visual of what we interpreted the arena looked like in our perspective. We predicted that there would be 2 types of forests, a desert, and tropical islands. We enjoyed making the map as there was no limits to how much we could predict was in the arena. We got to be creative!

My partner and I created a Identity chart for Katniss because we thought that making an Identity chart would help explain the characteristics, her hobbies, and skills. We didn't use specific quotes from the book , instead just using words to describe her. We cut out each words and pasted them on an A3 sheet of paper with a picture of Katniss in the centre.

My partner and I decided to make a ticket. We decided to make a ticket because the book never mentioned how the people from each district watched the Hunger games. We thought it was like a concert where you bought a ticket to come see the show. Merina used paint to create the overall ticket and printed it on photo paper.

The Luttrell Psalter are stories and images that portray the lives of peasants, priests, and kings of that era. The Luttrell Psalter was not the first to include scenes of rustic life in the 14^th century, but it is exceptional in their number and fascinating detail. It contrasts the two immensely different lives of those of the high class and the low class. What makes the Luttrell Psalter such a unique document is the fact that it describes through paintings the lives of those who had to work for lords to make a living. The piece of art is a primary source because it’s the closest picture that we can find from that era.